Swab left inside caesarean woman

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Swab left inside Caesarean mother

A woman has undergone an operation to remove a swab left inside her during a Caesarean delivery.

Sahar Asma Sarfaraz of Beckenham, south London, gave birth to her first child Sabrina at Princess Royal University Hospital in Orpington on Tuesday.

The 26-year-old complained of a severe pain soon after and three days later an X-ray revealed the hankerchief-like swab, which was removed on Friday.

Bromley NHS Trust said an investigation had been launched into the incident.

Mrs Sarfaraz's husband Shaz Sarfaraz, 27, said his wife had been complaining of a constant pain since the birth.

Warned over cleanliness

Mr Sarfaraz said: "She felt like something was really burning and it was not pleasant. But they [doctors] just kept saying that this is natural after a Caesarean.

"[The swab was] like a triangle version of a handkerchief with strings on the side, so its not a small thing to miss out," he said.

Mr Sarfaraz added that his wife continued to take painkillers to deal with the pain until she went in for an X-ray.

A statement from the trust that runs the hospital said: "Bromley NHS Trust can confirm that a sterile swab was left inside a patient during her emergency Caesarean section.

"A full investigation into the causes of what happened has been launched."

Earlier this month the trust was warned by the Healthcare Commission that it was "failing in its duty to provide and maintain a clean and appropriate environment for healthcare" after inspectors found filthy commodes and bloodstains on a bed rail and wall.

Two inspections in January also found poor decontamination procedures for surgical equipment.

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Mr Sarfaraz said: "She felt like something was really burning and it was not pleasant. But they [doctors] just kept saying that this is natural after a Caesarean.




oh my!! it really annoys me when doctors dont listen when you say something is not right!! we know our bodies and we know when something is up!!

i hope she heals up well and can now enjoy her new baby!

Just want to say that although things like this have happened in Australia in the past for various operations (although this story is in London), there are strict proceedures in operating suites throughout Australia to make sure that all equipment used during the operation is accounted for before they sew the patient up. This is by no means a regular occurance.

MG

ugh!

This reminds me of the idiots in the operating theatre with me after my c/s. They were suturing me up, and counting instruments (DH was off with Paris I was lying there in a dazed state wondering where my baby was) and he was making jokes at me about losing instruments!!!!!! Yeah mate, not a good time to make jokes, and especially not about that. We were not amused, let me tell you.

Yikes!! Sounds like that hospital really needs to get it's act together.

Yep, MG, that's right, thank God.

I saw last week on a show (can't remember which) that a woman had that happen to her when she was getting breast implants. They left the sponge in there for years and when she was opened up again to try and fix the botched boob job, they found it.

Suppose it could happen with any op. I've got to get opened up soon, freaks you out about something like this happening!

From what I have seen they are really pedantic about it now. When they were closing my sister they couldn't find a swab, and they looked everywhere for it, counted them over and over and really made an effort to find it. They double checked before closing.

all gauze and swabs used during theatre now have a strip in them which makes them easier to see on XRay. If there is any doubt that something has been left in a patient during theatre, they are xrayed (usually before they're closed up) to double check. Of course, any instruments are fairly easy to see on xray!

Cailin, sorry they had such poor taste in jokes when they were sewing you up. Medical staff tend to have a somewhat warped sense of humour - perhaps because we see it all the time... although it is extremely poor to be so insensitive infront of a patient!!!! A friend of mine just had twins and they were joking with her about being too posh to push!!!!

Oh, this makes me squirm.I just cannot imagine.

A friend of mine recently opened up to me about her first birth (he is nearly 2 and she can only just talk about it now - I think because she's pg again it's forcing her to think about her first birth kwim?) and said that they left a swab inside her vagina while they were repairing her epi and tear and she got a nasty infection and they actually accused her of not washing her vagina when she showered when she complained about it being really sore and a bit offensive smelling! The next day the swab fell out in the shower while she was in there and she took it and showed them and the nearly fell over themselves apologising to her and got her on IV abs right away.

trillian,
omg your friend must have been in agony!!!!
these poor women.
rachxxx